“I never had any experience in a grocery store other than being a customer,” she said.

She landed a position as a part-time cashier at Sprouts Farmers Market in Torrance – but she quickly learned how to work in other departments, like meat and deli.

“Shortly thereafter, I was given the opportunity to become a front-end manager,” she said.

Sprouts got its start in 1943. Today, the company employs 2,400 team members in California at 32 locations between Thousand Oaks and Laguna Beach.

Each location averages five to 10 openings at all times and the company is currently looking to hire 110 new employees at its Upland location, opening in late March.

“We have a lot of job opportunities – from cashiers, to produce clerks, to skilled butchers, to store managers – so it runs the gamut,” a spokeswoman said.

“We have very competitive pay, excellent benefits, and a dynamic workforce. I call it the Sprouts family,” she said.

One of those benefits is the 15 percent discount employees receive on their grocery bills.

“Whenever we get a new co-worker and they find out that they do receive 15 percent off every purchase, they’re usually pretty excited,” said Crystal, who has moved her way up to management in just two-and-a-half years.

According to Sprouts, that kind of ambition is exactly what the company is looking for.

“My advice to someone who would be looking for a job is simply to be yourself, learn the Sprouts culture and if you feel like you’d be a good fit – that you’re team focused, customer focused, you’re a people person with a flare for food – then we’re looking for you at Sprouts,” the spokeswoman said.

Additional information about employment opportunities at Sprouts is available on the company’s website.

Job seekers can also look forward to a career fair in Long Beach Friday.

Molina Healthcare is looking to hire 250 new employees across the Southland due to the expansion of Medi-Cal and creation of Covered California.

For additional details about the job fair at the Long Beach Hilton and full job listings, visit the Molina Healthcare website.